Praises FDA for reducing average waiting time for approval of generic drugs

Washington, D.C., February 27 – At a hearing today of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Ranking Member Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) praised the results of the animal drug user fee programs and said he would work to get the Animal Drug User Fee Act and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act reauthorized before August.

Alexander said: “Faster approvals of animal medicines will reduce farmers’ costs, and these programs have reduced the average waiting time for the FDA to approve generic animal drugs by 450 days and eliminated a backlog of applications, meaning farmers get faster access to cheaper and better products. When farmers get faster access to better medicines, people are healthier.”

In Tennessee, more than 17,500 beef cattle farmers have been Beef Quality Assurance Certified, meaning that they have the proper training and knowledge to handle and administer animal drug products. “Tennessee farmers want to do all they can do to produce a safe and wholesome product not only to feed others, but also their own families,” Alexander added.